


What Could Have Been

by Kamidani



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fix It Fic, Gen, Kingdom Hearts 3, Sora gets to be happy, and giving Sora lots of hugs, apparently this caused many tears, decided to post it for the hell of it, he deserves them, originally a gift for the discord server, so come prepared, this is basically me going "fuck canon"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-01-24 11:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18570316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamidani/pseuds/Kamidani
Summary: Somewhere out there, there's a world where it all went right in the end. The worlds were saved, and so was Kairi. And this time, Sora isn't going anywhere. This time, he gets the happy ending he's been fighting for for so long.





	1. In You And I

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as a quick little gift fic for the discord server and turned into this monster and I'm just- I have nothing to say for myself really. There's lots of hugs and crying, with a focus on Sora and Roxas because I love them.

In the end, it's not the pain. It's not the exhaustion, not the strain of fighting constantly for days and days on end. It's not the spreading bruises from a grueling maelstrom of duels against the strongest opponents he'd ever faced. It's not even the sickly sense of absence rooted deep in his heart where once others had slept. No, in the end, the thing that makes Sora finally let go is the sad little smile on Kairi's face, the way she gripped his hand a little tighter and whispered,

_"You're home."_

And that was all he could take. The piercing sense of relief, the finality of it, forced his mind into the sweet dark comfort of sleep. His heart drifted aimlessly, awash on a sea of gently rolling shadows. This was not the nightmare he'd once been trapped in. This was just blissful silence.

Of course, watching his limp form fall off the paopu tree was slightly less comforting to those that had gathered to await them. A terrified cry went up among them, a dozen voices rising and falling over each other and yet, none of them could gather their wits enough to come to his aid. And Kairi held up a single hand, a silent plead for them to wait, as she knelt by Sora in the sand.

"How do you manage to scare everyone so badly and still look so peaceful?" she murmured, placing one hand on the curve of his cheek. She took stock of his myriad injuries, his body a roadmap of cuts and bruises. Her magic eased over them, a warm blanket of healing. The slight tension in his brow faded. She grabbed his shoulders, shook him gently. "Come on, sleepyhead. You'll have time for a nap later." Sora groaned, his chest rising and falling in odd staccato beats, like he was trying to draw in air but it kept getting stuck. She shook him again, and smiled as one storm blue eye fluttered open, fixating on her with a grumpy glare.

"I have had a very long couple of years," he grumbled. "I think I deserve a chance to nap in peace." He sighed, long and low and so very  _tired_. "For like, the next month at least-"

"Not yet," Kairi giggled. "Look, Sora. They're waiting for you." She pulled on his jacket, forcing him up. He groaned the whole way, but eventually sat up on his own, and turned to look at the beach below their little sandy promontory. It took a long moment for realization to settle in, like sand slowly settling in the bottom half of an hourglass. But when it did, Sora let out a tiny gasp and turned to Kairi, abruptly  _very_  awake.

"Kairi, we're…" Like the sunrise slowly peaking over the edge of the horizon, his face burst into the most dazzling grin she'd seen on him in a long time. "We won," he whispered reverently. "We won, it's finally over, we're- we're home!" He leapt to his feet, delighted laughter bubbling forth as he pulled her to her feet as well. "Kairi, we  _did it_. We made it home."

"You've saved me yet again." She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek, enjoying the way his smile turned bashful. "My hero."

"Well, don't forget, I needed a little saving of my own, too. Now we're even." He held her hands in his, practically vibrating with excitement. She could still see the exhaustion lurking in the depths of his eyes, but it was almost completely overshadowed by the light that burst forth from him in waves. He was radiating happiness, and it was infectious enough to draw laughter from her as well.

"C'mon. Let's go join the others. We deserve a vacation, I think. And then you can finally take your nap, you lazy old man." Sora snorted, even as he turned to face the group waiting for them.

"I'm not old, I'm  _experienced_ ," he corrected sagely, grinning madly all the while. "I've seen just about everything there is to see and it all made me more tired." He looked down at them, almost unable to comprehend it. They were there, all of them- Roxas, Xion, Namine, Aqua, Terra, Ven, Donald, Goofy, Mickey, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Lea, Isa. And Riku. Riku was there, gazing up at him with awestruck eyes, tears of joy streaming down his face. Sora whooped and leaped down off the edge, landing in the sand below with practiced ease. He turned and held his hands up towards Kairi, catching her as she made the same jump. He spun her around for good measure, too, laughing in tandem with her, unable to contain the pure joy that was bursting from his heart.

Riku barreled toward them with a strangled laugh, his voice thick with tears. Sora yelped as he was the one who was picked up and spun, then set down and crushed in an iron grip along with Kairi. He freed his arms so he could wrap them around Riku the best he could.

"You came back," Riku whispered, sounding distraught despite the relieved grin on his face. He buried his face in Sora's hair, taking shaky, laboured breaths. "I was so afraid, I didn't- I kept imagining life without you and I couldn't handle it. I dreamt you brought Kairi back and then faded away, left me and Kairi alone-"

"Hey, none of that now," Sora chided gently. "I'm here, I'm home safe, see? I made it 'cause I knew you were here, believing in me. I had something to come back to." Riku shivered, held them both tighter. "Riku, I promise. I will  _always_  come back to you. You and Kairi both." Sora held on as tight as he could, half to reassure Riku and half to try and convince himself that this was real. He was home, he was safe. The worlds were safe.

And the people who'd been trapped in his heart were finally free.

Riku released them slowly, obviously reluctant. His face was red and blotchy from crying, and his nose was beginning to run. Sora reached up and wiped away one of the wet tear trails, smiling sweetly.

"I never stopped believing." Riku ruffled Sora's hair with one hand, wiping his eyes with the other. "I know how strong you are, Sora. Even if you forget, sometimes." Sora ducked his head at the subtle reminder. The world where they didn't get their happy ending. The world where he failed.

"Never again," he promised softly. "I won't forget, Riku."

"We'll hold you to that," Kairi joked, tears of her own quietly running down her face. Finally, Riku released them, and Sora stumbled a bit on the wet sand. Riku turned to the side, revealing the eager crowd of faces, all bright with hope and tears. Sora looked out over them, saw friends, brothers, family; saw everything he'd fought to protect all standing there looking at him like he was the summer sky taken physical form. He couldn't help the laughter that spilled out from him. This was more than he ever dreamed he'd be allowed to have.

He locked eyes with one boy in particular. The one whom he'd been chasing ever since his Mark of Mastery Exam, the one who'd given him his life, his body, his memories so that he might survive. His Other.

Sora took one step forward, then hesitated. He knew how much he longed to know Roxas, how desperately he wanted to meet him when he wasn't lost in the haze of a dream. They had spoken all of, what, three times? And Roxas had suffered so much on his behalf. What if he hated him? He had every right to detest the one who had trapped him for so long, but Sora's heart trembled at the thought. He didn't know if he could handle the strength of Roxas's rage, directed at him. Not when his heart still felt like it would crumble and fade to dust at the slightest provocation.

His doubts, his fear, they must have shown on his face, because Roxas was gazing at him with something akin to guilt. Sora watched, too afraid to take another step, when his Other finally broke the stalemate. Roxas hiccuped out a sob, shoulders shaking softly. Sora gasped, eyes widening in shock, as his other half abruptly took off running, tearing across the sand. Straight to him.

Sora braced himself for the impact. He wasn't sure what he was expecting. A fist to the jaw? A Keyblade to the stomach? Either way, he probably deserved what was coming, and forced himself not to guard reflexively like his instincts screamed at him to do. So when Roxas crashed into him, arms wrapping tight around his middle and face buried in his shoulder, Sora almost didn't manage to correct his footing in time. He staggered but remained upright, arms held out to either side in abject confusion.

"Roxas…?" he whispered, not daring to let himself hope. Roxas curled closer, drawing in sharp, short breaths, and shaking as he stood there, as close to Sora as was physically possible. Sora held his breath, still not daring to return the embrace.

"It always had to be you," Roxas mumbled into his shoulder, not making any move to remove himself in the slightest. He lifted his head just enough so he could breathe more easily, eyes still tightly shut. It was as if he was afraid that if he opened his eyes, Sora would disappear, fade into the sunset like so much pixie dust. And that, really was what finally broke the dam, and Sora threw himself into Roxas, forcing the other boy to stumble back like he had just moments before.

"Thank you," Sora whispered, reveling in the feel of Roxas's heartbeat under his palms. He was here, he was free, he finally had the chance to be his own person. The long strong of injustices could finally be set right. "Thank you for  _everything._ " They both laughed in tandem, and Roxas pulled away just enough so he could rest his forehead against Sora's, eyes peacefully shut.

"Anytime, Sora." Sora couldn't help it, he snorted in amusement, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled.

"Well, maybe not  _any_ time, I don't really fancy the idea of being stuffed in a pod again anytime soon-"

"You know what I meant!" Roxas barked, pulling away specifically to fix Sora with an annoyed glare. Sora grinned, drunk on the taste of ocean air and victory, and Roxas rolled his eyes as his expression softened to a fond smile. Slowly he let go of Sora, his hands lingering even as he stepped away. "But you should- you should probably greet everyone else, too. They've been waiting just as long as I have." Sora grabbed his wrists before he could step out of reach, remembering a moment where Roxas had held on to him like this, had surrendered his memories of a life cut short.

"We should talk. Later. I mean-" Sora sighed, frazzled with nerves. "There's some things that I never got to say before. Things that I've wanted to say for a long time." Roxas raised one eyebrow in casual expectancy, eyes flicking up and down Sora's gaunt frame.

"After you get a chance to rest, we'll talk," he promised. Sora smiled in relief, and finally let go of Roxas. It was an ending to the "them" that they had been before, and the start of something entirely new. No longer was it Sora and Roxas, the Somebody and the Nobody. Now it was just… them. Two pieces of a larger whole. Separate, yet so much stronger together.

Roxas stepped to the side much like Riku had a moment ago, and this time Donald and Goofy were the first to reach him. Sora laughed in delight as he was tackled by the two people who he had travelled with the most, the two people he had trusted his life with countless times over the past year and a half. He closed his eyes and just let himself relax, feeling much the child he had been when they had first found him. When he opened his eyes, Mickey was right there too, and the little King hugged him as enthusiastically as an old friend. If his letter about their adventures in the journal was to be believed, then maybe he was.

"You worried us!" Donald squawked angrily, somehow managing to look stern even past his expression of profound relief.

"Oh come on, don't you guys remember?" Sora teased through a fresh onslaught of happy tears. "I promised I'd come home safe, didn't I? I always keep my promises."

"We never stopped believing you'd come back," Goofy assured him. Mickey nodded in agreement.

"Riku was your firm defender," the King told him. "Whenever we started to lose hope he was right there, reminding us to believe in you."

"Thank you," Sora told them earnestly. "Your hearts guided me home." He picked himself up with some difficulty, and based on the worried looks on Donald and Goofy's faces, he was going to have to resign himself to being fussed over for a while. He'd survive, but there was no telling how much damage his ego was gonna take before they calmed down. He untangled himself from Goofy's death grip (he had started calling it the dad hug in his head and had never managed to change the name) and stepped away, brushing off sand as he did. The next person, or rather, people, to greet him were Terra, Aqua, and Ven.

Ven approached with a gentle smile, pulling Sora into a hug with no hesitation or preamble. Sora could feel his heart beating, and the sensation of it  _-familiar, so achingly familiar-_  made his whole being melt into putty. He let himself sag into Ven, burying his head in his shoulder with no shame whatsoever. He could fall asleep without any fear right there. Ven wrapped one arm around his shoulders while the other braced the back of his head, ruffling auburn spikes. He felt small in the good way, like he could keep him safe and shelter him from all his nightmares. An older brother holding his sibling, easing the fear away.

"Welcome home, Sora," Ven murmured, holding him close. Sora burrowed in closer, his heart crying out pitifully for the piece of him that he'd sheltered for so long. He shoved that needy part of him down, far away where it couldn't detract from how  _happy_  he was to see Ven awake and smiling. But he knew that he would struggle to adjust to his new existence with only his own heart to maintain. There were gaps, now, where the others had once rested, and he could feel them aching every time he breathed.

"Good to see you up and about, Ven," Sora giggled through sobs. He'd been trying to keep the tears at bay, but he was overflowing with emotion, relief and pain and shock all warring for first place in his mind. Aqua and Terra both came forward and surrounded the two boys in the warmest hug Sora had ever felt. It was family and home and safety all wrapped up in one, and he had no complaints when Aqua ruffled his hair like she always did with Ven, or when Terra pulled them against his chest and laughed when he squeaked in surprise.

"Thank you, for guiding us home when we were lost, Sora." Aqua held her boys tighter, trying to banish the memory of endless dark shores and a haunting despair. "You saved all of us." Sora tried to lift his head to look her in the eye, but Ven's grip didn't abate, and he stopped struggling with a small put upon sigh. Aqua giggled, a watery, happy sound. "You were our light in the darkness."

"Our Wayfinder," Terra said simply, using his height to surround all of them. Sora couldn't help the little wanting cry that escaped him, residual pain from Ven, the aching longing for a family he had never truly met. But he had them here, now, soothing the lingering pain that he'd never understood until Vanitas had reached for his heart and Ven had responded.

It wasn't until Sora softly but firmly pulled Ven's hands away that the other boy finally allowed him to move back. His hands grasped at open air as he did, as if he wanted to pull Sora back in but was resisting the urge. Terra and Aqua also gave him space, allowing him room to breathe.

"Thank you, Ven." Sora placed his hands over his heart, eyes drifting shut. "For all the times you protected me and I didn't even realize."

"I mean, you saved me first," Ven pointed out with a mischievous smile. "But of course I would do everything I could to protect my little brother." Sora twitched and his head shot up, mouth wide open as he processed.

"But we're the same height," was all Sora managed to say on the matter, garnering chuckles from the trio. Ven laughed outright, throwing his head back in glee.

"Just go and finish your rounds, Sora," he prompted, making a shooing motion with his hands. "Everyone wants to get a chance to thank you. And then I'm making you sit still for more than half a second so I can take a proper nap without worrying that you're trying to get yourself killed." He narrowed his eyes at Sora, lips pursed in concern.  _"Again."_  Sora held his hands up in surrender, having recovered from his shock.

"I'll be good, I promise! Honestly, a nap sounds wonderful and I will definitely take you up on that later." Sora laced his fingers together behind his head, rocking back on his heels as he did. "Maybe  _not_  a whole ten years this time, though, Ven." Sora ducked away when Ven moved forward to smack him on the arm, cackling victoriously. He forced himself to turn away, to look at the others on the beach who were awaiting their chance to speak to him. His gaze landed on Xion first, but she shook her head and pushed Namine towards him. At the sight of the wisp of a girl, Sora's face lit up in genuine delight.

"Namine!" he crowed, dashing forward. "You're here, I didn't even realize, I- how?" She giggled, turning a sunset coloured thalassa shell over and over in her hands.

"Ienzo, Even, and Asnem worked together to retrieve my heart. They wanted to atone for their past actions against us, and this was one of the ways." She fell still, eyes trained down at her feet. "I- I wish that I could have done more for you, if I had just tried harder then maybe Kairi wouldn't have-"

"Hey, you know that's not true," Sora interrupted gently. He approached with gentle steps, keeping his shoulders low and stance open so as to appear as small and nonthreatening as possible. "Namine, you saved us. We never would have beaten Xehanort if you hadn't managed to call for help. We owe you everything. And besides, I have a promise I have to keep." She looked up, eyes widening. "Namine, I have so many things to be grateful to you for. You, and Roxas, and Xion, you all suffered so much on my behalf. But even so you did everything you could to help me, and I promise I will never forget that."

"Sora," she whispered, hands clasped together in front of her chest, the shell she'd been holding earlier still trapped in her grip.

"So, thank you, Namine," Sora finished, smiling at her awestruck reaction. "With any luck, that's the first of many thank you's to come." Tears welled up, marring the perfect baby blue of her eyes. With a muffled sob she dashed forward, and this time Sora was well prepared to be tackled. She crashed into his chest, and he curled around her, resting his cheek on her hair and holding her tight.

"You're more than welcome, Sora," she sniffled into his jacket. "I'd do it a thousand times over, for the privilege of being considered your friend."

"Aww, Namine. I've  _always_  thought of you as my friend. My heart knew the truth." His words, as heartfelt as they were, spurred another round of tears from Namine, and Sora rubbed her shoulder soothingly. Xion approached from behind, wrapping one arm across Namine's shoulders in silent support, and using the other to pull Sora down to her height so she could press a kiss to his temple.

"Sora, every time I look away I swear your heart gets a little kinder," she informed him, her whole being seeming to sparkle in the twilight. "You've been through so much, your heart has endured so much strain- you wanted to save me even when your heart didn't recognize me yet. We all owe our existence to you, and yet somehow you want to turn it around and say you owe  _us._ " She shook her head, combing through his unruly hair with her free hand. "I knew, from the moment I felt your heart, that you were worth saving. I don't regret a second of it."

"Oh," Sora breathed, filled with wonder. Namine pulled away just enough to laugh at him, and Xion joined in on the merriment. Sora could feel the blush coloring his face, but there was no way to hide it short of burying his face in Namine's hair. He was trapped here, in this little circle of support, and Xion was grinning fit to split her face in two.

"What's the matter, Sora? You can dish it out but you can't take it?" she teased. Sora pouted and looked away, trying to suppress his growing smile.

"This is bullying," he grumbled, his chest shaking with silent laughter. Namine and Xion both leaned in for a second more, one last moment of contact, before stepping away and letting Sora get his blushing under control. He crossed his arms, trying his best to look annoyed, but even he knew that he was awful at faking anger. He dropped the facade a moment later, rolling his eyes good naturedly. "You two are  _awful_. I have to live with this now? I'll never survive!"

"We like you and want you to be happy, you dork." Xion turned to let Sora see the rest of the group on the beach, all of them watching with elated expressions. Sora's heart swelled at the thought of it: all of these people, so genuinely happy, just to see  _him_. It was unimaginable, that he could go from a naive child whose hopes and dreams all relied on a raft, to the person he was today, scarred and war torn, yet so much happier for all the love and companionship he'd found.

"Welcome home, Sora," Riku said to him, again. This felt less like a greeting, though, and more like a promise. "It's good to have you back."

"Hey, let's have a cheer for the saviour of the worlds, shall we?" Kairi cried, holding a hand out and summoning her Keyblade, to point it at the sky. Everyone else followed suit, holding their weapons high. Hayner, Pence, and Olette, who had been huddled on the sideline and unsure of why everyone was quite so happy to see Sora, all crowded into Lea to watch him draw his Keyblade. Isa, for his part, was looking away, clearly unsure of what to do with himself while everyone else celebrated. Sora felt old panic skitter down his spine, but he forced himself to make eye contact with the older man. He smiled reassuringly, his expression hopefully conveying the sentiment of peace and, you know,  _not_  trying to kill each other. Isa relaxed minutely, and Lea elbowed him and chuckled at his discomfort. That particular hurdle could be overcome another day, when Sora wasn't so emotionally wrung out. Sora wanted to greet Lea as well, but everyone was watching him expectantly, so he promised to catch up with the redhead later.

So he held his hand out, called that familiar power to his fingertips. He felt it flow from his heart like water, trace it's way through his veins until it shimmered into being against his palm. The Kingdom Key, the first he'd ever held, and his most constant companion. He raised it up to the sky, eyes closed as he felt the magic everyone else was conjuring and followed suit. Beams of light, too dazzling to look at directly, shot up from their Keyblades and exploded in great bursts of color and sound, sprinkling them all in shards of stardust. Sora laughed at the frivolous display. It was bright and distracting and entirely unnecessary, and he loved Kairi for suggesting it because it was exactly the kind of thing he loved to do.

"I don't know about you guys but I am  _starving_ ," Lea announced to the group at large, his Keyblade disappearing in a flurry of sparks. "And I still haven't got my welcome back hug, Sora." The boy in question laughed, letting his own Keyblade recede back into the depths of his heart.

"Well I think I can help with both of those things." He braced his hands on his hips, eyes bright with anticipation. "Let's go home. There's one more person that I need to say hello to."

* * *

 

As it turns out, disappearing for the majority of two years with little to no explanation and only one short visit in between was a great way to worry your mom to death. She went from hugging him and crying, to shaking him and scolding him, to laughing in delight at his return, back to crying again. Sora endured it all with a patient smile, laughing and crying with her in turn. Reunions, he was finding, were absolutely exhausting, so while the responsible adults- AKA Aqua, Isa, his mother, and with some stretching of the definition "responsible", Lea- all worked together to try and get some food for the ragtag group, Sora took his well deserved nap. He and Ven were sprawled on top of eachother on the couch, while Roxas and Xion lounged nearby to keep an eye on them in case of nightmares. The whole atmosphere of Sora's family home was amicable and content, the smell of food enticing those who had managed to stay awake.

When Sora did awake, it was to a plate of food being shoved under his nose. He barely succeeded in waking Ven, who he was learning the hard way was very clingy when he was asleep. Even so, he never actually managed to get Ven off of him. He just ended up squished between him and Roxas on the couch while they all dug into his mother's (and Aqua's) cooking. The sun was setting around them, bathing them all in sunshine made of molten gold. And by the time Sora had finished his food, the sun had finished setting and the world was lost in shades of blue. He slowly drifted back to sleep, full and warm and surrounded by the people whom his heart was closest to. His sleep was peaceful, uninterrupted by dreams of any sort. The worlds were safe, the inhabitants of his heart were free.

For now, at least, he could rest, without worrying about what new trial he'd have to face in the morning.

* * *

 

Sora didn't wake until late afternoon the next day, having somehow slept through the disaster that had been breakfast (he was fairly certain those burn marks on the ceiling hadn't been there the day before) and what would later be known as The Great Breakfast Incident. Everyone seemed to have individually come to the same conclusion of not telling Sora anything but the oddest and most vague of details about that. Something involving Roxas and toast? He wasn't sure if he even really wanted to know. Either way, as he forced his bruised and battered body up off the couch, he was met with the myriad signs of life, scattered all over the living room. Plates and cups and unfolded blankets, misaligned chairs and the shade on the lamp all askew. It looked lived in, unlike the near sterile appearance it had had when he'd first walked in and called for his mom the day before.

He stretched, hissing at the feeling of sore muscles protesting their sudden lack of movement after days of constant activity. After a while, there was only so much curaga could do, and he had definitely exhausted his store of magic for the next couple of days. Nothing to do but grin and bear it until his heart mended itself enough to start regenerating mana. The house was blissfully silent, although Terra and Aqua were both asleep on the swing on the porch, draped across eachother and snoring softly. Sora walked past them with a warm smile, making sure to avoid the creaky middle step on his way down the stairs.

He glanced at the sky, which was already starting to bleed shades of red and orange. His shadow stretched out behind him, his silhouette stretched out into a grotesque caricature. It reminded him, too much, of the times that Heartless had crept from the cast of his own shadow, and he turned away with a shudder. There was no more darkness to hold at bay, no more Xehanort plotting to destroy the worlds. It would take time for that to sink in, for the shadows to stop being a constant source of wariness and fear. But for now all he wanted to do was secure a good spot to watch the sunset, and then go find Riku and Kairi and try and catch up on everything. And the  _best_  place to watch the sunset was on the paopu tree. So, that was where he went. It felt like he was stuck in a dream, so long had it been since he'd last untied his skiff from the docks and rowed across the channel.

Of course, he was only mildly disappointed to find that his spot had already been taken. Sora tiptoed across the wooden bridge, eyeing the figure sitting on the tree. At first he almost thought it was Ven, but the distinct sharp edges of his shoulder armor was missing, and his own heart quickly recognized the feel of Roxas's unique heartbeat when he drew close enough. He snuck up silently, carefully coming around the edge of the trunk and peering at the profile of Roxas's face. The Nobody turned Somebody was staring off across the water, his eyes fixed on some point far beyond the horizon. Sora crept closer, grin growing wider and wider as Roxas continued to zone out. He was close enough to touch him when his eyes flicked down towards Sora, taking a half a second to process. Then his eyes widened as realization struck, and Roxas yelled in consternation, his face absolutely comical as he tipped sideways off the tree.

"What the hell, Sora?" Roxas roared as he launched off the sand, trying to grab Sora in a headlock. Sora, who was used to dodging such attacks from Riku, who had much more reach, easily danced away, cackling as Roxas lunged again.

"You should have seen your face! I can't believe I managed to get that close before you realized-"

"I was lost in thought!" Roxas said defensively, finally managing to snag Sora's wrist and dragging him in so he could ruffle his hair with his fist. Sora yelled out as Roxas drove his knuckles onto his scalp, writhing and kicking ineffectively. "Jerk. What was even the point of you sneaking up anyways?"

"I wanted- ah, let go! I wanted to watch the sunset." Sora finally managed to free himself and ran a hand through his hair, scowling up at the strands that were now laying funny thanks to Roxas's ministrations. "This is the best spot on the whole chain of Islands. But you stole it, so I scared you as revenge."

"You didn't scare- oh, never mind." Roxas ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a nervous breath. "You wanna watch the sunset with me? So we can… talk? Like you wanted?"

"Oh!" Sora blinked in surprise, remembering his own words to his Other the day before. "I guess now is a pretty good time, huh." He hopped up onto the gentle curve of the tree, leaving the flatter part close to the base for Roxas to settle on. They both sat in silence for a little while, watching as the sun threw golden hues on every surface and kissed the line where sky and sea met. It was the same sea that Sora had spent every evening next to throughout his youth, and yet somehow it still managed to take his breath away.

"So," Roxas began, his voice echoing oddly into the stillness. The gulls were crying and the crickets were singing their evening songs, but they only seemed to add to the silence. The steady crash and hiss of the waves below them was a counterpoint to the racing of Sora's heart. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. He just was. Roxas seemed to sense this, because he did his best to smile encouragingly. "I know you probably have things to say, too, but can I go first? I've been rehearsing this all day."

"Go right ahead," Sora prompted. "We'll still have light for a while yet." Roxas nodded gazing down at his hands, stained orange in the light.

"There's- there's a million things I want to say to you," Roxas began. " And it's hard to remind myself that I have time now. I don't have to say them all at once, because you'll still be here tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that. This isn't a desperate fight in your heart, or a quick pit stop in your dreams. This… this is it. This is my life now, the life I get to have because of you." He smiled, eyes distant, lost in a memory. "The life I get to spend  _with_  you."

"To be honest, I'm still getting used to it, too," Sora admitted, shifting in place. "It feels weird, knowing there's not some enemy looming on the horizon. There's no goal, no destination, no deadline to meet. We did it. It's done. I haven't even been conscious for very long since the end of everything and I'm already lost." He shrugged. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, it's fine. It's nice to know I'm not the only one feeling the lack of purpose. But the thing I wanted to talk to you about first was this." He held out both hands towards the sunset, and the two distinctive Keyblades he'd wielded since leaving the Organization shimmered into being.

Sora recognized them immediately, of course. Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Both had been obtained at pivotal moments of his first adventure, and had been precious to him ever since. It had been a bit of a shock to see Roxas wielding them, one in either hand like he'd been born to it. But then again, maybe he had. Sora would always regret the violent circumstances of Roxas's short life, but at the very least he had the Keyblade at his side the whole way through. He couldn't say he had given Roxas much, but he could take pride in that.

"Your Keyblades?" Sora wondered aloud. "What about them?" Roxas grimaced, setting the blades on top of eachother, crosswise in his lap. He rubbed his hands across the delicate designs of Oathkeeper, a thoughtless gesture that was meant to soothe as he considered his next words.

"That's the problem," he sighed. "They were never my Keyblades."

"Huh?"

"Sora, these- these are special to you. You have my memories, and I in turn have quite a few of yours. These represent your bonds to Riku and Kairi, I know that." He shrugged, looking like he wanted to take the words back even as he said them. "They belong to you, Sora. I can't keep them, knowing what they mean." Sora flinched back, looking down at the weapons as Roxas held them out to him, a regretful little smile on his face. "Thank you for letting me borrow them."

Sora blinked, and then he stared, and then he took a moment to ponder.

There was no use in denying that he had held those Keyblades dear. They were unparalleled in their grace and efficiency, and the sentimental value attached was indescribable. But even so, seeing Roxas fight with them just felt… right. Even when he himself had held one in either hand as he faced the challenges in The World that Never Was, it had been Roxas's heartbeat pounding next to his that had given him the strength to wield them. It had been Roxas's rage fueling him, not his. And even as he yearned to hold them in his hand, to curl his fingers around the grip and let himself drown in the memories they invoked, he knew that he could never do that. Not when his heart knew the truth.

"You're wrong, Roxas." Roxas blinked, his hand sinking just a bit.

"What? Sora, what do you mean-"

"I mean that they aren't my Keyblades. Not anymore." Sora smiled at him. "Honestly, I think they were always yours. I was just keeping them safe for you until you could show up and claim them." He reached forward and pushed the two weapons back towards Roxas. The boy paused, drew in a quick breath.

"What are you saying?" Roxas pleaded, eyes alight with confusion and, more damningly, the first glints of hope. It was becoming increasingly obvious that Roxas hadn't wanted to give up his blades of choice at  _all_. He'd simply done it for Sora's sake, a fact that made Sora ache, in a good way.

"I'm saying that they're yours, Roxas. You  _made_  them yours. Yeah, they meant a lot to me, but they mean even more to you. Those Keyblades are exactly where they're supposed to be." He shook his head, smiling sadly. "I'll miss 'em, yeah, but… my heart knows where they belong. And it's not with me." His smile became more mischievous, and he held his own hand out towards the sunset, calling a specific Keyblade into being. Two Become One settled in his palm, all spikes and crosses and shades of black and white. "This one was yours, wasn't it? So we're even." He let it rest across his lap like Roxas had with Oblivion and Oathkeeper and let the stillness stretch out, waiting for Roxas to formulate a response.

By the time Roxas managed words, the sun was well on it's way past the edge of the world, leaving only a half circle to cast a column of light across the waves.

"Sora, I… I don't know what to say."

"Well, you said it yourself earlier. We have time now, so you don't have to figure out what you're feeling  _right now_." Sora let his Keyblade fade away, stretching his fingers against the absence instinctively. "We can just watch the sunset, if you want." He kept his gaze trained firmly on the swells in the sea in front of him, giving Roxas privacy to sort out his thoughts. He startled at the distinct sound of Keyblades striking each other, and looked over to see the two distinct weapons- one light, one dark- lying discarded on the sand. And when Sora looked up, it was to see Roxas fighting back tears. Sora lurched forward, alarmed. "Wait, Roxas, I didn't mean- did I say something? Are you okay, I-"

"You know, sometimes I forget," Roxas whispered, and Sora cut himself off so he could hear him. "Sometimes I forget that you believed in me before anyone else did." He bowed his head, shoulder shaking with silent sobs. "That- you don't know how much it means to hear you say that, Sora." He fell silent, head still bowed, and Sora decided that if there was anytime to kick aside his hesitation and take a risk, it was now. Carefully, slowly so Roxas could back away if he wanted, he scooched closer and pulled his Other close. Roxas, for his part, immediately folded against Sora, who breathed out a sigh of relief that he'd made the right decision. He still wasn't sure how to handle himself around Roxas, what was allowed and what wasn't. But in this moment, he was content to sit there and lean on him, and let his breathing fall in sync with the other.

"I'm so glad you're here, Roxas," Sora murmured as the sun reduced itself to just a sliver on the horizon. "I'm so glad you finally get to have a life of your own. And I'm so sorry that you went through so much because of me." Sora drew in a shaky breath. "What Riku did- it wasn't right. Nothing could make it right, not even that he was doing it to help me. I'm sorry that you got caught up in that." Roxas sighed and shifted so he could sit facing more towards the sunset, while still resting his head on Sora's shoulder.

"I have my own problems with Riku," he grumbled, not unkindly. "But I also get where he was coming from. As far as everything goes, it all worked out in the end. You don't have to apologize for something you had no control over. I said it before, and I'll say it again. It had to be you, Sora. I've got no problems admitting that I'm not the hero that you are." Sora let out a chuckle at that.

"So can we just… start over? Not as Somebody and Nobody, not as other halves, not as- well, whatever bullshit labels people might want to force on us. I just want to be your friend, Roxas. If that's okay." Roxas pulled away, and Sora was filled with fear that he'd finally gone and said the wrong thing.

"I don't know," he began thoughtfully, and Sora felt his heart drop right down into his stomach. Had he...? But no, Roxas was grinning like a fool, his smile so wide that his eyes were nearly shut. "I kind of think of us more as brothers, twins even." Sora stared for a moment, then yelled out in fake rage.

"You scared me, you jerk!" he cried with wide eyes, while Roxas laughed uproariously at him. "I thought I'd said something wrong!" Roxas shoved him softly, nearly knocking him off the tree. Sora pushed back, finally letting laughter overtake him as well.

"I'm glad you care so much, but you're probably one of the few people who  _doesn't_ constantly irritate me," admitted Roxas. Sora breathed out a heavy sigh, his whole body seeming to deflate.

"That's good to know." Sora looked over at Roxas slyly, eyebrows rising up slowly. "Brothers?" he asked hopefully, his gaze open and cheerful. Roxas snorted.

"Yeah, brothers," he agreed. "Don't make me regret admitting that."

"Oh, I absolutely will," Sora promised, sliding off the tree and hitting the ground. Oblivion and Oathkeeper had disappeared at some point when he wasn't paying attention, leaving only their fading imprints in the sand. "I guess we should probably head back, huh. Sun's almost completely gone." Indeed, even as he spoke, the last tiny portion of it sunk beneath the horizon. The vivid gold faded to navy blues and purples, and just like that the stars winked into existence. Tropical twilight was always fairly quick, though it seemed to take Roxas by surprise. His head tilted up, up, up, until he could look straight at the blanket of stars high above them.

"Ooooor… we could find Ven and stargaze for a little while," he suggested. "I want a chance to get to know him, but it's kinda awkward seeing as I somehow managed to borrow his face." Roxas elbowed Sora as they began the walk back to the docks. "I want you there to act as a buffer." Sora laughed and elbowed him back, bursting into a run as it somehow turned into another competition.

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed, fending off mock punches and throwing a few of his own. "After all, we got time, right?" Roxas blocked his strikes with ease.

"Yeah," he agreed with a breathless smile. "We got time."


	2. There's a New Land

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the second chapter that I wasn't even sure I was gonna write, lol. It... somehow ended up being even longer than the first one lmao

Rather than take separate skiffs to the main island like normal people, Sora and Roxas managed to fold themselves into one, and then proceeded to spend the whole trip back trying to tip the boat over. Or, Roxas did. Sora was valiantly attempting to stay  _ out  _ of the water, while Roxas cackled and tipped the tiny skiff from side to side.

 

"You do realize that if this thing goes down you're falling in too, right?" Sora yelped, trying to row and maintain balance at the same time. Roxas grinned, all teeth and dimples.

 

"So? Doesn't bother me!" Roxas threw the boat to the side again, erupting into laughter again as Sora threw his own weight the opposite way, setting them aright. 

 

"Have you even ever gone swimming before?" Sora grit out, eyeing the distance between them and the docks and calculating whether he could keep them upright for that long. He managed to get back into the rhythm of rowing, then looked up as he realized that Roxas had fallen still. "Roxas? You good?" 

 

"No, I'm fine," he reassured him, looking vaguely unnerved. "I just realized that I don't know how to swim, so I'm going to stop. Doing that." After a moment of stunned silence, Sora burst into giggles. The petulant frown on Roxas's face made him want to hide behind his hands, but he didn't dare let go of the oars. So he laughed, and Roxas pouted, and they made it the rest of the way to the docks without incident.

 

"I'll have to teach you how to swim soon if you're gonna spend much time on the Islands," Sora pointed out. "It's a big part of the culture here. I mean, no one judges anyone who can't, but still. I like swimming, so you probably will too." Sora hauled himself up onto the dock with upper body strength alone, tying the skiff up before the current could pull it away. He knelt and extended a hand to help Roxas.

 

"I probably would enjoy it," Roxas agreed, grunting as he took Sora's hand and lurched onto the wooden platform. "Wish I could just take the ability from your memories and call it good, though. But the only bits I remember are from after you left the Island, not before." They set off towards the winding dirt road that circled the main island. Farther down the path rested a long row of homes, Sora's among them. But Sora's eyes were on the shore, scanning for a certain shape on the sands. 

 

"Well, I doubt it would make much of a difference, anyways," Sora mumbled. "Although I did suddenly know how to skateboard when I woke up, which was weird. It's nothing like surfing." The last streaks of light were bleeding off the horizon, leaving nothing but an expanse of the deepest blue, coated with a blanket of stars. While Sora looked for Ventus, Roxas walked with his head pointed upward, staring in awe at the sky.

 

"What's surfing?" 

 

"Oh, man, you're gonna  _ love  _ surfing, it's- oh, there he is!" 

 

"Wait, you found Ventus?" Roxas straightened his neck, leaning forward to peer around Sora. "Uuuuhh… where?" 

 

"Back at the house. Let's go!" Sora took off at a sprint, shooting a grin over his shoulder.

 

"Wait- how do you know- oh for fuck's sake, hold on a second Sora!" Sora just laughed as he ran, and Roxas tore after him with gusto. The two of them kicked up dust as they sprinted back, Sora firmly in first place with Roxas huffing and puffing behind him. "How the fuck are you so  _ fast _ ?" he wheezed. Sora came to a screeching halt in front of the path to his front door, and Roxas smacked into his back with a pained grunt.

 

"Told ya he was here," Sora murmured, pointing to where Ventus was now curled up against Terra's side on the couch on the front porch. He seemed to have taken Aqua's place, as the blue haired Master was nowhere to be seen. Terra was out like a light, but at their approach Ventus blinked open bleary green eyes.

 

Sora approached on silent feet, a fact Roxas noted with some annoyance. How could someone so loud, so unapologetically in your face, also walk with the grace and silence of a trained dancer? Roxas had done  _ covert surveillance  _ for the _ Organization _ and he couldn't walk that softly. All the while Ven was rubbing at his eyes and yawning, glancing between the two boys in front of him.

 

"Sora? What's wrong?" Sora's laugh was a soft, musical sound, twinkling like wind chimes in the night time air.

 

"Nothing's wrong, Ven. We just wanted to know if you wanted to go stargazing with us." Ventus blinked a few times, looked out at the tropical night sky. His mouth formed a perfect 'o' of awe. Then his eyes traveled back down to Roxas, and his gaze became troubled.

 

"You want me… to come with the both of you?" Roxas flinched back a little. He and Ven had been trading awkward glances for the past two days, unsure of where to even start with that particular clusterfuck, but the hesitation was still a little disheartening. They'd shared a space in Sora's heart for months, but they could barely share a room without shutting down. 

 

"I mean, if you'd rather go back to sleep, that's fine," Sora assured him. "But otherwise…  yeah. The both of us." He turned and caught Roxas's eye, smiling encouragingly. ' _ You got this, _ ' he mouthed, and Roxas rolled his eyes, feeling better despite himself. Leave it to Sora.

 

"I've been napping on and off all day," Ven admitted, carefully extricating himself from Terra's grip. "I haven't gotten a chance to see these stars, though. Where you wanna go?"

 

"The pier down here is just as good a spot as any," Sora informed them, cheerfully extending a hand to Ven as he clambered down off the porch. Ven didn't really need it, but he took the assistance anyways. Maybe spending 13 years sleeping upright in an unpadded throne had had repercussions? Roxas wasn't sure, but it was funny to think about. Kid takes record breaking nap, wakes up with back problems.

 

"You seem happy," Sora prodded as he and Ven walked by him towards the road. Roxas shook his head.

 

"It's nothing." He trotted after them, noting the way that Sora and Ven's stride lined up. Ven's steps were heavier then Sora's, with more weight in the motion, but when they walked side by side their pace matched each other perfectly. It was to be expected, but an oddly jealous part of Roxas bristled at the way Sora was drawn to Ven so immediately. He hadn't missed the hesitation Sora showed when they talked. A part of him knew it was how Sora cared, making sure no boundaries were crossed. Ven shouldn't feel like competition, and yet, here they were.

 

"What are you doing all the way back there?" Sora called. Roxas yanked his gaze up from where he'd been glaring at their feet. "Come on!" Sora held out one hand towards him, and Roxas jogged to take his place at Sora's side. Before Sora could pull his hand back, Roxas grasped it firmly in his, letting their arms swing between them. He tilted his head, expression carefully blank when Sora made a small confused noise. He felt rather smug, really. He could see Ven watching the interaction over Sora's shoulder, and he preened internally a little bit. At the same time, a part of him withered in embarrassment. 

 

This was really kind of petty, when he thought about it.

 

But before he could even wrangle those odd feelings of jealousy back under control, Sora was reaching over and holding hands with  _ Ven _ , too. Roxas looked away with a pout.  _ Well, I did it first, _ he reminded himself petulantly. Then,  _ but it's not a competition, dammit! Sora can be close with someone besides me. Someone who he's spent his whole life with. Who has my face… fuck. _ Sora was glancing between the two of them, one eyebrow raised. Roxas kept his eyes forward. Last thing he needed was Sora figuring out his silly insecurities. 

 

"So what happened while I was gone?" Sora asked, breaking the awkward silence that had settled. Ven jumped in to answer.

 

"You mean while you were getting Kairi?" At Sora's nod, he continued. "We all kind of went our separate ways for a while. Riku stayed here to wait for you guys; Roxas, Lea, and Xion went back to Twilight Town; Mickey and them went back to Disney Castle; and Terra, Aqua and I went back to the Land of Departure to start settling in again." He scratched his cheek bashfully with one hand. "I spent most of the time either running laps or napping. My heart was in great condition when I woke up, but my body? Not so much. I'm only now starting to work some of the stiffness out." Roxas immediately felt another stab of guilt. He had been stuck with Sora for a few months, but Ven had been with him for more than a  _ decade _ . Of course they were close: their hearts had been dependent on each other for most of Sora's life.

 

"You still managed to fight, even after just waking up and being all messed up?" Sora exclaimed in childlike awe. "That's  _ amazing _ , Ven!" Even Roxas couldn't help but laugh at how the other blond tried to physically twist away from the praise, lips twisting into a proud smile that he couldn't contain. Sora turned to face him, eyes glinting mischievously. 

 

"Don't think you're off the hook, either," he teased. "The way you burst in- you literally shot down from the sky! It was so cool, Rox! And then you were standing there all cool and stoic with Oblivion and Oathkeeper, and maaan, the look on Xemnas's face was  _ priceless _ . I've never been happier to see a familiar face, even if-" Abruptly, Sora cut himself off, and Roxas watched in alarm as an emotion he couldn't quite place flitted across the brunet's face.

 

"Sora?" he probed softly. "Even if what?" Now he was grateful that both he and Ventus had a firm grip on him. He'd spent too many hours trapped in his heart, cursing how Sora hid every negative emotion to keep his friends from worrying. Now he was stuck in between the two people who would most definitely  _ not _ let him get away with that.

 

"It's really not important." Sora tried to free his hand, but Roxas held on tighter, and he assumed that Ventus did the same on his other side.

 

"But it is something," Ventus insisted, shooting a concerned look at Roxas. Roxas shrugged as subtly as he could. Inwardly, he chuckled. In his head, they'd gone from rivals to partners in crime in the time it took him to finish an ice cream bar. "Sora? What happened when Roxas came back?"

 

"I said it's nothing," Sora repeated, sounding almost desperate. "Please, just drop it."

 

"Yeah, no." Roxas poked Sora in the side with his free hand. Somewhere in the middle of the conversation they'd reached the docks Sora had mentioned earlier, and were now just standing in a chain of clasped hands. "You know that I don't know when to leave things alone. What happened? I was a little busy sassing Tall, Dark, and Stupid to notice if anything was up with you at the time." Sora chuckled drily, as did Ventus.

 

"I don't want to make you guys worry," Sora admitted. "I'm not hurt or anything, I promise. It's just… just a me thing." Ventus and Roxas shrugged in unison.

 

"Yeah, well, it's a bit late to not worry us," Roxas pointed out. "Come on, let's sit on the dock and you can tell us all about this 'you thing'." Sora snorted but let them lead him to the edge. They managed to all sit without letting go, though Sora kind of fell in the process.

 

It wasn't until they were seated, feet hanging out over the waves and eyes on the stars above them, that Sora spoke.

 

"Roxas was the last of you guys to escape from my heart." Roxas frowned at the wording. Escape? That made it sound like a prison, but Sora… being with him had been like being wrapped up in a warm fuzzy blanket, having all of his concerns soothed away by a kind, gentle presence that was as all-encompassing as it was welcoming. There was nothing jail-like about it, not once he'd gotten over his initial bitterness. "And I'd been feeling it ever since Ven woke up but it's like now… Now there's this hole in my heart, where you guys were." Roxas blinked at this information, and Sora hung his head in shame.

 

"I'm so,  _ so,  _ happy you all finally get to be yourselves again," he whispered. "But in that moment where you left, Roxas? All I could feel- it was…" he struggled to find words, hands tensing and relaxing in their grip. Then he sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. "For a moment, I was unbearably lonely," he finished, refusing to meet their eyes. "I can feel it, every time I move. There's a part of me missing, the part of me that all of you used to fill. I know that I'll get used to it, but for now? It just hurts." He shrank away from their searching gazes, retreating into himself. "I'm sorry. I know it's not fair to you guys."

 

"Not fair?" Roxas spluttered. Sora flinched away, and he backtracked, stumbling over his words as he tried to find some way to correct his blunder. Dammit, no wonder Sora had been so skittish. If he felt so guilty over missing their presence, he probably hadn't  _ allowed _ himself to want to be near Roxas. He'd drawn lines in the sand when all Roxas wanted was to share the beach.

 

"Sora, no one else has  _ ever _ sheltered hearts for as long as you have, or in quite the way you have," Ventus interrupted. Roxas fell silent, suddenly  _ immensely _ grateful for the presence of the other boy. He wasn't- he wasn't cut out for the whole comforting gig. His go-to strategy was the same as Lea's: pull out some ice cream and hope for the best. Thank God for people with actual emotional maturity. "I'm honestly surprised you haven't shown worse symptoms. A little loneliness? That we can help with." Sora ducked his head, and on impulse Roxas leaned forward and bumped his forehead against Sora's.

 

"I'm not mad, if that's what you're worried about," he said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone. "To be completely honest, as glad as I am to be back, I kinda miss your heart, too. It was technically the first safe place I'd ever known." He smiled as Sora's head shot up in disbelief.

 

"But that's- but you-" he sputtered. He took a breath to collect himself. "But you were trapped in there," he reasoned almost desperately. "How could you-"

 

"He's right, Sora." Ventus nudged him softly. "Your heart was the kindest, softest place I've ever known. Makes me drowsy just thinking about it." Despite himself, Sora let out an incredulous snort. His amusement was short lived, though. For once, he let his expression darken, not attempting to hide it behind fake smiles and wide eyes.

 

"When I was in the dream during the Exam, Xehanort- the younger one, anyways- told me that my heart was a prison. I didn't want to believe him, didn't understand what he meant at the time. It wasn't until I saw Roxas that I got it. And… that was when I realized what I would have to do." He gave Roxas an apologetic smile. "If we hadn't found a different way to bring you back, or to wake Ven up, I knew." He let his voice still, head tilting back to look at the stars.

 

"Knew what?" Roxas pleaded softly.

 

"Knew that if all else failed, I would do the thing that brought you into existence in the first place. I would turn the Keyblade on myself."

 

For a moment, the two blonds, the two who owed more to Sora than probably anyone else, couldn't formulate a response. Ven was frozen in shock, his free hand curled over his chest in abject horror.

 

Which left all of the freaking out to Roxas.

 

"Sora, what the hell are you saying? You couldn't- you can't- I would never- Sora, I would  _ never _ ask you to do that for me. Ven wouldn't either, which he'll be happy to tell you as soon as he picks his jaw up off the floor and starts being helpful." He released Sora's hand so that he could grip his Other by the shoulders, hold him still so he would be forced to meet his eye. "It.  _ Has _ to be you. I told you. It could have been the other way around, but it wasn't. You were the hero the worlds needed, you were the one who brought Xehanort down. I never could have done that. I'm not-" Roxas shuddered, closing his eyes. "I'm not selfless like you are. I wouldn't have driven myself as far as you did. I didn't have the right kind of heart to bring Xehanort down." 

 

"I don't believe that," Sora muttered. "The only reason I considered sacrificing myself is because I trusted that you were strong enough to take my place." He shot a sad grin at Roxas, his eyes slanting to the side in gentle regret. "Which wasn't really fair to you either, but I was starting to get desperate by the time we got to the Graveyard." Roxas backed off, taking his hands off of Sora.

 

"You thought that I…" He huffed a nervous breath. "Sora, we had barely talked at all. Why would you think that? We didn't- you didn't know me."

 

"I saw what you saw. Roxas, you showed me your life, what little of it there was. And from that I knew- that you were genuinely kind. You have your own kind of light, stronger and more formidable than any I've ever had." Sora held his one free hand out, staring at his palms. "I trusted you to make up the difference when I wasn't strong enough. I  _ knew _ you would." 

 

"Sora, what's your point?" Ven asked kindly. "I'm glad you're telling us this, but… why? And why now?" Sora huffed in frustration, and Roxas reached over and reclaimed his hand. Whether it was to comfort Sora or himself, he wasn't sure.

 

"My point is that I was willing to do  _ anything _ to bring you back, to give you the chance to live out your lives in peace. And now that you're finally free, I- there's this tiny selfish part of me that just misses you. And it's  _ wrong, _ I  _ know,  _ but I can't help it. I can't help that my heart hurts, or that I can feel the space where you used to be. I can't make that feeling go away, no matter how much I want to." Above them, the stars twinkled and danced, shining bright despite Sora's dark mood. "And I know that you guys have already forgiven me for it, but I still haven't forgiven myself. That's… that's just gonna take time, I think." Roxas snuck a glance at Ventus, studied the pensive frown on his face.

 

Sora was right. He had to forgive himself on his own terms. And in his own time. 

 

"We'll be right here with you every step of the way," Roxas reminded him. "For this, and every other dark secret you have hidden from years of fighting Heartless on your own." Sora shot him a look, and he grinned appeasingly. "What? We're all a little broken, Sora. You're not the only one who's a little wary of your own sharp edges."

 

"That was surprisingly poetic," the other blond murmured. "You know, for someone who looks so strikingly similar, you really are full of surprises." It was the first time that Ventus had addressed him directly, and Roxas peered around Sora with some trepidation. He was met with green eyes and a smile that reminded him more of Sora than anything.

 

"Thanks, I guess," he managed, distinctly regretting the lack of social skills that came with being less than two years old. 

 

"Have you guys technically even been formally introduced?" Sora wondered out loud. The doppelgangers both shook their heads in unison, and Sora grinned brightly. "Well, that's a  _ much _ better use of our time than moping around about wartime regrets!" He brought his hands together, dragging their hands with him, and it was with a much lighter heart that Roxas reached over and shook Ventus's hand. "Roxas, meet Ventus. Ventus, this is Roxas. He's the other half of me that somehow went and became cooler than the source material." Roxas couldn't help the bout of laughter that punched it's way from his lungs. Sora smiled at him, eyes shining in cautious joy. 

 

As much as Roxas wanted to know what made his Other tick, the look of sheer relief on his face at the change in subject made him feel a little bad for pushing the issue. Sora was an open book when he wanted to be, but it was like certain pages where all the important stuff was were stuck together. You could pull them apart and see what was inside, but you risked tearing something in the process. Sora wasn't torn this time, thank goodness, but this was a problem they would have to take one page at a time.

 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Roxas," Ventus stated, an amused twinkle in his eye. "I'm Sora's older brother, and if you hurt him I'll kill you myself." Roxas sputtered in outrage, and Sora sputtered right with him, except in embarrassed disbelief.

 

"Why are you giving  _ me _ the shovel talk?" Roxas demanded. "You gotta help me give the shovel talk to  _ Riku _ . It's just wasted on me, I'd kill for Sora, too."

 

"Wait, no, guys, that's not-" Sora collected himself with a sigh. "You are not giving Riku the shovel talk," he groaned. "And no one is dying!"

 

"Yet," Roxas amended. 

 

"Wait, why are we giving Riku the shovel talk?" Ventus questioned, glancing between the two of them. Sora whipped around and looked Roxas in the eye.

 

"Rox, don't you  _ dare- _ "

 

"Sora has a big fat gay crush on Riku," Roxas blurted, leaning back as Sora lunged to try and cover his mouth. Ventus burst out into laughter while Sora quietly died, covering his face with both hands and whining.

 

"Aw, Sora, you don't have to be embarrassed. I like to think I know your heart pretty well, I would have found out eventually." He rubbed Sora's back soothingly, still suppressing laughter. 

 

"You're wrong about one thing," Sora told them from the safety of his hands. "It's not a big fat gay crush." Roxas raised one eyebrow in confusion. "It's a big fat bi crush. It's Riku  _ and _ Kairi." Roxas opened his mouth and closed it again.

 

Huh. Today was full of discoveries. 

 

"That's a bit ambitious, don't you think?" Ven teased. "Do you really think you can woo both of them?"

 

"Who the fuck says 'woo' anymore?" Roxas grumbled under his breath. Sora swore softly in light annoyance. It was easy to see that the irritation barely went skin deep. He was more embarrassed than anything.

 

"It is not my fault I have very pretty best friends," he ground out. "And yes, I  _ can, _ seeing as I've been the Islander equivalent of engaged to Riku since I was 6, and my soul is bonded with Kairi's thanks to the paopu fruit." He shot a victorious grin at Ven. "Believe it or not, I sort of know what I'm doing."

 

"Hold up. Engaged? That's- there's no way that's true." Roxas leaned in, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And also, that's not allowed. Riku is a fuckbucket and you're not allowed to like him." Sora snorted and hooked a finger under the chain of his necklace.

 

"This is a promise chain. They're an old Islander tradition. We tend to use necklaces or earrings more than we do rings. The fishermen spend all day working with their hands so it's not practical to have rings that could catch on stuff."

 

"So, Riku gave it to you?" Ventus questioned. 

 

"Uh huh, when we were six," Sora affirmed. "As long as I wear it, it's a visual sign that I accepted his offer and I'm devoted to him. It can be platonic or romantic, actually, but either way it's considered a form of engagement." He grimaced in shame, curling in on himself. "I'm pretty sure Riku still considers it as a platonic thing, but I'm still working on that." He curled one hand around the crown charm, smiling nostalgically. "I'm just glad that it hasn't gotten lost or broken, considering everything its had to survive since I left the Island."

 

"Well, obviously I need to get rid of it," Roxas muttered. "Hey, Sora, turn your head so I can get to the clasp-"

 

"No!" Sora clapped one hand over the back of his neck, scowling. "I've taken good care of this thing for almost ten years now, you're not messing with it." Roxas turned to Ventus, eyes narrowed in determination.

 

"Ventus, you have to help me. I want to mess with Riku and this is the best way." He ignored Sora's indignant protest. He could hear the laughter in his tone, so he wasn't worried that he was pushing too far.

 

"First of all, I would highly suggest  _ not _ pissing him off, seeing as he was good enough to be recognized as a Master by Yen Sid, who's notorious for being tough on his students." The blond smiled then, eyes crinkling at the corners. "And secondly, please. Call me Ven." Roxas opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.

 

Somehow, that phrase seemed oddly significant. Like a rite of passage, a test that he'd passed but didn't even know he was taking. It was just a nickname, right? No big deal. But that didn't stop the doofy looking grin from spreading across his face. For some reason, he was just inordinately pleased at the request. It was dumb, he knew it was, but it felt like maybe he wasn't as awkward as he thought. He was comfortable around Lea, Xion, and Sora. Now Ventus- Now  _ Ven _ was a tentative addition to that list as well.

 

"Alright, Ven," he said, testing the nickname out. Sora laughed in delight, clapping his hands together. 

 

"Well, since you guys are getting along, I'm gonna go back to the house," he announced. Both Ven and Roxas twisted in alarm, reaching with shaky hands to hold him in place. Sora froze, stiffening in shock for a moment. "What? What's wrong?" Both boys stared at each other across Sora, both wondering where the sudden and ingrained fear had come from.

 

"Sorry, just… instinct, I guess," Ven replied, his tone sheepish. Roxas snorted.

 

"Not instinct, just good sense. You do dumb things when you don't have some kind of supervision." Sora let out a cry of indignation.

 

"That's not true! At least, not always…" He trailed off, lips pursed as he thought. "The last few years are an outlier and shouldn't be counted."

 

"Either way, I thought you wanted to stargaze with us? What are you going back to the house for?" Ven tilted his head to the side in the same way Sora always did, and Roxas couldn't help but wonder whether Sora acted like Ven or Ven acted like Sora. There was no way of knowing where their mannerisms came from. Sora giggled, swinging his legs over the water.

 

"Nah, I just wanted to make you two doofuses have to actually  _ talk _ to each other instead of making faces over my shoulder. Don't think I didn't notice all of that awkward staring over dinner last night." As he spoke, Sora pushed away from the edge so he could get his feet under him, and this time his companions let him get up without complaint. He stood up straight, stretching his arms above his head and popping his back.

 

"We would have gotten to it!" Ven complained. "Eventually…" He shot a look at Roxas. "Okay, maybe not. I'm still getting used to this." He followed that up with an apologetic smile. Roxas rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile back. He really did get lucky in the dumbass sibling department.

 

"I didn't really intend for the conversation to get so serious. Besides, I…" Sora hesitated, crouching next to them and wringing his hands together. He huffed out a determined breath, steeling himself. "I wanted to ask Aqua if she would train me. To become a Master, I mean. Yen Sid has more experience, but there's only so much that wise words can do, you know? I need more practice with my magic and the Keyblade if I'm gonna catch up to Riku." He flashed an optimistic grin their way. "I'm proud of him for getting so far, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna let him hog the spotlight forever!" 

 

"I think Aqua would be happy to help you, Sora," Ven assured him. "It'll be good for her, too. Part of me thinks that she still feels like she failed somehow, as a Master. You asking for help might be the ego boost she needs to get back on her feet." He glanced over at Roxas. "If you're interested in becoming a Master, too, you should ask her for tips. We could all train together." Roxas nodded slowly, not really an affirmation, just a motion to show he was thinking about it.

 

Did he want to become a Master? The Keyblade had always been part of him. It didn't feel like some rare privilege, though that was undoubtedly what it was. It was just part of him, as integral to his being as Sora's necklace was to him. There wasn't any thrill, no sense of accomplishment to the idea of being a Master. It didn't feel like a goal he needed to strive for. And yet…

 

It almost felt wrong, for Sora to go on ahead without him. He didn't want to follow in his footsteps; that wasn't it. He wanted to walk by his side. Brothers, in blood and in arms.

 

"I'll have to think on it." He shrugged indifferently, but he could feel a rising sense of purpose in him. Maybe it would be good to set a new goal for himself, now that he wasn't fighting for his life. He could prove once and for all that Nobodies were just as good as the real thing. Behind him, Sora chuckled.

 

"You're practically already a Master in your own right, Roxas. If we sparred right now, I would probably lose  _ miserably. _ " Roxas opened his mouth to dispute that claim when he was interrupted by the feeling of arms wrapping around his ribcage. He yelped as he was lifted up and dragged to the side. 

 

"What the!?" If asked about it later, Roxas would vehemently deny that he squeaked, even though Ven and Sora both agreed that was definitely the noise he made. Sora laughed against his back, warm and bright. 

 

"You two have to get to know each other so there's no more awkward staring. Ven, no matter how annoying Roxas gets, don't push him into the water, he doesn't know how to swim." Roxas reached back and smacked Sora, grinning all the while. 

 

"You better hush before I tell him about all the dumb things you've done in the past couple of years," he warned. Sora put his hands on his hips, eyes glinting.

 

"I feel like you're going to do that  _ anyways _ , but sure, I'll shut up and go so you two can ponder the advantages and disadvantages of having same face syndrome." Roxas turned to Ven to find some proof to dispute this, but only ended up surprising himself with how close they were now sitting. Sora had dragged him right up against his doppelganger. 

 

"Just be safe, Sora." Ven twisted around so he could look the younger boy in the eye. "Don't do something dumb like fall and hit your head." Sora scoffed.

 

"Oh, ye of little faith," he teased, walking backwards towards the shore. "I'm actually pretty graceful when I want to- SHIT!" Sora pinwheeled his arms as his heel caught on a plank that was sticking up about an inch higher than the rest. Once he recovered his balance, he looked down at the offending board in shame. "Okay, I kind of asked for that one," he admitted with a sigh. He stomped the board back into place and grinned awkwardly. "Okay, I'm gonna go before I fall over anything else. Don't kill each other!" He turned and jogged away, settling into that even lope that he could maintain for hours without running out of steam. 

 

"No promises!" Roxas called back. He could just see the way that Sora's shoulders shook when he laughed, and he settled back on his palms, feeling pretty proud of himself. Then reality settled in, and he glanced over at his twin, who was watching him with carefully blank eyes.

 

Oh shit. Oh, he definitely couldn't do this. Sora needed to come back and distract him with his Sora-ness before he exploded from how utterly unprepared he was for  _ any _ of this. 

 

He was startled from his panic by the sound of laughter, and it was somewhat unnerving that for a second he almost thought it was  _ him _ laughing instead of his companion. 

 

"Good to know I'm not the only one feeling nervous," Ven told him. Roxas stared at him, mouth agape.

 

"Oh, for fuck's sake, did I seriously say that out loud?" Roxas groaned. "And here I thought I couldn't get any worse at this." Ven patted his shoulder. It was a little awkward for the both of them, but the sentiment was appreciated.

 

"Well, you know Sora's gonna be sad if we don't find some way to get along. So we're going to have to figure this out or risk making him feel bad."

 

"You don't have to guilt trip me," Roxas mumbled. "I mean, I could just hit you with a Keyblade a bunch of times. That always solved all of my problems before." Ven wrinkled his nose at him.

 

"No thanks," he said, almost too quickly. Roxas chuckled a little, but that was as much energy as he could expend to keep the conversation going.

 

Aaaand back to square one of  _ uncomfortable _ . For lack of anything better to do, Roxas leaned back on his palms and stared at the sky. The stars really were beautiful here. It was a little humbling, knowing that this was the sky that Sora had grown up under. The sky that he stared at a decade before, when Ventus was broken and looking for a sanctuary to rest in. 

 

Roxas had fought so hard to be his own person, and had almost succeeded in his own opinion, when this other kid came along with  _ his _ face and  _ his _ connection to Sora. Even their color schemes were the same, a detail that bothered Roxas more than it probably should. He didn't want to be jealous, or awkward, or out of place. He just wanted to be his own thing, separate from anyone. Even Sora, though he was finding he had an incredibly soft spot for the brunet.

 

"You know," began Ven, derailing his train of thought, "Sora deserved to be named a Master ages ago." Roxas leaned forward a bit, tilting his head to show he was listening. "He's already defeated the most powerful enemies this realm has to offer. He figured out form changes all on his own, he's mastered the power of waking-" Ven cut himself off, scrubbing his palms against his pant legs. "He's done far more than Aqua was ever expected to to become a Master, but he's never been recognized for that." His soft voice had gone rough with irritation. "Even when I was asleep, I think I could feel how much that hurt him, to be told he failed." Roxas grit his own teeth.

 

"Yeah, he was pretty messed up about that one." Roxas drove one fist into the rough hewn boards beneath him. That whole test had been a clusterfuck from the very beginning, but there was one detail that hadn't really made sense until after he'd learned about Ven's existence. (And really, it was kinda shocking that they'd both been bunking in Sora's heart and somehow Roxas had been oblivious of the other's existence until after Sora woke Ventus up.) "But, do you really not remember?" 

 

"Remember what?"

 

"You- that armor. When Sora fell into the deepest part of the dream and fell into darkness, there was a different light that came to protect him. It turned into this armor, it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. But it kept the darkness from reaching Sora's heart." Roxas turned to face Ven more fully. "I know now- that had to be your light that kept him safe. Kept us all safe, really. If Sora fell we were all doomed to fall with him."

 

"I don't… I don't remember that," Ven admitted uneasily. "Xehanort  _ never _ should have gotten that close to him, though. I'm glad that I managed to do something to help, even if I was asleep at the time." He shifted from side to side, head bowed, but remained silent after that.

 

Roxas sighed in annoyance. He probably shouldn't have brought up Sora's closest call with darkness. Of course that would upset Ven. He'd only spent around  _ 12 years _ in Sora's heart. No big deal.

 

"I should probably just go," Roxas mumbled. "I can catch up with Sora and make sure he didn't die on the way back."

 

"You don't have to leave if you don't want to!" Ven blurted out, eyes wide with remorse. "I- I know I'm not the best company, but I really do want to get to know you. I mean, I mentioned earlier that I consider Sora to be my younger brother. If that's true, then that means you are too." He smiled, one corner of his mouth quirking up. "It's an easier alibi than trying to convince people we  _ aren't  _ related, considering the resemblance." 

 

Well, shit, when he put it like that…

 

"Yeah, well, I've already adopted Sora as  _ my _ brother, so you can fuck right off," Roxas said teasingly. To his relief, Ven let out a peal of laughter, eyes crinkling in mirth. 

 

"That's the true nature of siblings, though, isn't it?" He threw his arms wide, as if to say 'ta-da!' "You'd die for each other, but you also can't stand each other half the time. Or at least, that's how Master Eraqus described it…" His voice trailed off, then suddenly his expression sank. Roxas winced. He knew all too well the pain of good memories painted dark by the loss of a friend. 

 

"I'm sorry about what happened to your Master," he said softly. "It seemed like you guys really cared about him."

 

"And he cared for us, too," Ven whispered. "All he wanted was to keep me safe, to keep Terra from wandering down the same path Xehanort had taken. Sometimes I wonder, how much would be different if I had just listened to him then…" 

 

"Well, it's too late to worry about that now," Roxas said without thinking. Then he winced, because  _ wow _ , insensitive much? To his surprise, though, Ven seemed to brighten up anyways.

 

"Yeah, I know," he agreed. He then proceeded to put on the same smile that Sora did when he was hiding something. "Hard not to reminisce, I guess." Roxas frowned. He knew better than to think that Ven was feeling better just like that. He also knew better to think that Ven would be okay if he just left him alone. Apparently knowing Sora inside and out was going to come in handy for interacting with his unconventional twin. 

 

Well, when hitting it with a Keyblade didn't work, that meant it was time for plan B. AKA, throw Sora at the problem. Or in this case, throw the problem at Sora.

 

"You know, we probably should head back anyways," Roxas suggested, climbing to his feet. "It's only a matter of time before you fall asleep and fall into the ocean, and I'm not jumping in to save you." Ven spluttered, shocked, before he started laughing, for real this time. 

 

"I want to argue with that but you're probably right," he chuckled. "If we hurry, Terra might still be asleep on the porch. He's great for falling asleep on."

 

"Congrats, I guess?" Roxas muttered, setting down the path. "You people are weirdly big on cuddling."

 

"You say that as if you weren't plastered against Sora's side all through dinner last night," Ven teased. "You won't cuddle with anyone but him, huh?"

 

"Sora doesn't count!" Roxas defended, kicking up dust as he walked. "Besides, I felt it every time he wanted to give someone a hug and didn't cause he was worried about looking too clingy. He's got lots of hugs to catch up on." Ven nodded in agreement, conceding that point.

 

"There's a lot of things we're willing to do for Sora, huh…" he mused. "Good to know I've got someone else I can trust to help me keep an eye on him." He grinned conspiratorially. 

 

"Ditto, I guess." Roxas shrugged. He smiled a little, hands lax at his sides and his pace relaxed. Ven had slowly walked closer and closer to him as they went, until now their shoulders bumped into each other on every other stride. It was surprising, only in that it somehow didn't bother Roxas at all. Then he realized how his nervousness had evaporated as they walked, and smiled a little. Even when Sora wasn't there, he made a good buffer. "Wow, talking to you almost doesn't suck. I'll have to make a note of that." He still couldn't quite  _ look _ at Ven when he talked to him. That was too much. But conversation was easier than he had expected it to be, at the very least.

 

"Good to hear," Ven said with a smile in his voice. "I know it's probably still going to be awkward for a while, but this is as good a start as any." He bumped into Roxas's side, smiling softly.

 

"No, we definitely could have a better start." Roxas bumped Ven back, fighting to keep the grin off his face. "But this is better than my usual so I guess I can't complain." He scuffed his feet in the dirt, eyeing the line of houses. Sora's was just a little ways up ahead. Funny, how time flew when you were busy trying not to embarrass yourself in front of the person who you'd gotten your face from. 

 

"Well, here's hoping we get to have many awkward conversations in the future," Ven laughed. "I, for one, can promise you I will embarrass myself just as often if not more often than you do." Roxas snorted.

 

"I doubt that, but thanks anyways." They reached the gate to Sora's house. Terra was indeed still passed out on the couch, and they could distantly hear the sounds of voices from inside. Sora's excited tones rose above the rest, and both blends found themselves smiling as a result. Ven opened the little gate to the front yard and held out a hand.

 

"After you." Roxas walked past, then stopped. Ven closed the gate, then watched him carefully.

 

"Roxas?"

 

"Thanks, Ven." It could have been just a perfunctory thanks for holding the gate, but they both knew it was more than that. Ven tilted his head to the side, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

 

"What for?"

 

"I dunno. Just figured I should say it. I mean, I did borrow your face, so…" Ven shook his head.

 

"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean anything in the long run. Your heart is the most noticable part of you, and that's the part you made your own, well and truly." He smiled, face softening into an expression Roxas wasn't even sure he could make. "Sora had it right. You're your own person, no matter what circumstances shaped how you look." He walked past him, into the house. Roxas stood there, dumbfounded, and a little confused by the fondness welling up in his chest.

 

Well, shit. Apparently there were two bright eyed disasters determined to be annoyingly supportive. Who would have thought?

 

"Wait up, Ven!" he called, as the blond slipped through the door. He shot up the stairs and into the house, grinning at the quiet and yet chaotic scene he found. Sora was standing by Aqua's elbow, chattering away happily while he helped her mix some sort of weird white dough. His mom had accosted Ven immediately, and had dragged him to the sink to help her clear out last night's dishes. Xion was curled up in the corner of the couch, watching the controlled chaos with a smile, and Roxas automatically gravitated to her.

 

"So, how's it going with your twin?" she murmured as he settled down next to her. Roxas leaned against her, letting his head rest on her shoulder. 

 

"Which one?" he mumbled back, yawning. She giggled softly, and ruffled his hair with one hand.

 

"I know you and Sora get along just fine," she scolded. "How is it with Ventus?"

 

"Weird," Roxas admitted. "But better than I expected. Maybe someday I'll be able to look him in the eye without feeling my stomach twist." He slumped further into the cushions. "I'm not cut out for talking to actual people. That's Sora's job."

 

"Well, we'll have plenty of time to practice," Xion reminded him. "We have a family here, Roxas." The blond smiled as he settled in, watching as Ven splashed Sora with water only to get pelted by flour. Both Aqua and Sora's mother ended the squabble quickly, though they were laughing all the while. It was noisy and messy and a little weird. But it felt like home, for the first time in a while. 

 

"Yeah," he agreed simply. "We do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter of Sandcastle Kingdoms is kicking my butt, lol. I'm gonna work on it tonight and tomorrow morning if I can, but it might be a day or two late. Sorry! Life's been crazy lately, lol.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't generally write such fluffy, self indulgent things, but I might do this more often. Just little things for fun, because we all need a little cuteness in our lives. For those of you who are following Sandcastle Kingdoms, don't worry, I'm still continuing that. This just kicked my metaphorical door down and demanded to be written. And also it's 1 in the morning at the time of this being posted so if there are mistakes, please tell me. I doubt I caught them all.
> 
> Lastly, I will probably end up writing the scene with Ven someday, but for now this works as a standalone so I'm marking it as complete


End file.
